The present invention relates to hygienic articles, in particular, toilet seat covers.
xe2x80x9cTriboelectric Charging of Common Objectsxe2x80x9d, Thomas B. Jones, University of Rochester, http://www.ee.rochester.edu:8080/xcx9cjones/demos/charging.htm1, December, 1999.
xe2x80x9cTRIBOELECTRIC SERIESxe2x80x9d, William Beaty, http://www.eskimo.com/xcx9cbillb/emotor/tribo.txt, 1995.
The problems associated with toilet seat sanitation have long been recognized. Toilet seats contaminated with human waste, bacteria, and/or viruses create various health risks. It has been reported that by touching a toilet seat just one time, it takes at least five consecutive hand washings to get rid of most of the germs and bacteria. Thus, it is not unusual that one might catch a cold or influenza as a result of touching a toilet. Elderly persons, immunocompromised people, chemotherapy patients, pregnant women, young children, and people with diabetes are particularly susceptible to toilet germs and bacteria.
Public places, such as bus stations, airports, restaurants, movie-houses, and office buildings generally provide facilities used by large numbers of people. It is often not practicable, nor is it practiced, to adequately clean the toilet seat between uses. Consequently, such facilities, on the whole, are not clean and not esthetic.
The problem of toilet seat sanitation has been addressed several ways. One approach has been to provide a toilet seat cover that minimizes contact between the toilet seat and a user. Such a cover can take the form of a layer of protective material between the user and the toilet seat. Usually, such covers define an eliptical ring which have an outer dimension like that of the toilet seat and an inner dimension which permits uninterrupted bowel movement and urination.
Known toilet seat covers of the above-mentioned type suffer from the considerable disadvantage that they tend to slide off the toilet seat; e.g., either into the toilet bowl itself, or onto the floor area near the toilet. Obviously, this creates waste of raw materials, as a user must utilize a fresh cover, and potentially contributes to further filth in cases where the cover falls on the floor and is left there.
Clearly, further advancements in the art of toilet hygiene are needed.
An aspect of the present invention provides a method for improved toilet hygiene. In an embodiment of the invention, the method comprises: (i) treating a toilet seat cover to provide the cover with a non-neutral surface charge; and (ii) overlaying the cover on a toilet seat, such that the cover clings to the seat due to the non-neutral surface charge.
The method further comprises, in one embodiment, treating the toilet seat to provide a surface of the seat with a non-neutral surface charge. In one embodiment, the seat charge is formed by way of induced polarization.
According to an embodiment of the invention, at least 20%, at least 30%, at least 40%, at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, and/or at least 95% of the surface area of one side of the cover is in intimate clinging contact with the seat. Such surface-area percentages are considered herein to comprise a substantial portion of the cover. In some embodiments, about 25%, or about 50%, or about 75% of the surface area of one side of the cover can be caused to cling to the surface of the seat for a period of time (e.g., greater than 20 seconds).
In one embodiment, the treating of the toilet seat cover comprises tribocharging (also known as xe2x80x9ctriboelectric charging,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9ccontact chargingxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9celectrification by contactxe2x80x9d). In another embodiment, the treating includes passing the cover through an electric field.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for improved toilet hygiene, comprising: (i) establishing a charge differential between a toilet seat cover and a toilet seat; and (ii) overlaying the cover on the toilet seat, such that the cover clings to the seat (due to the charge differential).
The establishing step can be selected from the group consisting of triboelectric charging, inducing polarization, and passage through an electric field, among others.
In various embodiments, the charge differential is at least 50V, at least 75V, at least 100V, at least 150V, at least 200V, at least 250V, at least 300V, at least 500V, at least 750V, at least 1,000V, at least 2,500V, at least 5,000V, and/or at least 10,000V, or higher. In an embodiment of the invention, the charge differential is maximized.
In another of its aspects, the present invention provides a device for use with a toilet seat, comprising a laminar (multi-layer) sheet-like material configured to fit upon a toilet seat, and having a first outer layer on one side and a second outer layer on an opposite side. In one embodiment, the first and second layers are comprised of first and second materials, with the first and second materials having unlike triboelectric properties such that when surfaces of the first and second materials are brought into intimate contact with one another and then separated each acquires a non-neutral surface charge.
In its operative condition, the cover can be utilized in a sheet-like configuration, or it can be configured into a sleeve-like arrangement adapted to slidably fit over a toilet seat.
In one embodiment, the toilet seat cover is comprised, at least in part, of an insulating (substantially non-conducting) material.
In one embodiment, a plurality of such sheet-like materials are releasably connected to one another end-to-end, and are wound so as to define a roll configuration.
In another embodiment, a plurality of such sheet-like materials are arranged in a stack, with each sheet-like material of the stack disposed in intimate contact with its nearest neighbors (or neighbor, in the case of the first and last sheets). Further in this embodiment, the first layer of each sheet-like material of the stack is disposed facing in a first direction and the second layer of each sheet-like material of the stack is disposed facing in a second direction, wherein the second direction is opposite of the first direction.
One of the layers can be comprised, for example, of a paper material (e.g., tissue). The other of the layers can optionally be provided with adhesive properties (e.g., a slight degree of stickiness or tackiness).
In one embodiment, one of the layers comprises an electret.
A further aspect of the present invention provides a dispensing device for dispensing toilet seat covers. In an embodiment of the invention, the dispensing device comprises: a compartment adapted to hold a plurality of toilet seat covers; an orifice defined by a wall of the compartment permitting one of the covers to be pulled therethrough for removal from the compartment; and a charge-imparting member positioned such that a cover pulled through the orifice must pass closely by (e.g., rub against) the charge-imparting member. In use, a cover removed from the dispenser via the orifice gains a non-neutral surface charge.
In one embodiment, the charge-imparting member and the covers have unlike triboelectric properties. For example, the covers can be a paper material and the charge-imparting member can comprise a vinyl surface.
In another embodiment, the charge-imparting member is an electrostatic generator.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, drawings, and appended claims.